The five independent republics of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan cover a vast territory in Central Asia, almost 4 million hectares, which is just a little smaller than the whole of Western Europe. Very different ecoregions are represented in this territory: grassland plains (steppes), riparian forests (tugai), boreal forests (taiga), wetlands, snowfields and deserts. The variety of ecosystems in these countries contributes to the unique and extremely valuable diversity of local horticultural and fruit crops. The region has a population of approximately 60 million people, of which about 60% live in rural areas. Agriculture contributes about 30% of the region’s economy and gives employment to between 40% and 70% of the population. Wheat and cotton are the major agricultural commodities. The region has a vast area of rangelands (260 million hectares) much of which is used for livestock production. Arable land, on the other hand, is quite limited, particularly in the mountainous countries of Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan and in the densely populated regions of Uzbekistan (Samarkand and Khorezm Provinces and the Fergana Valley). Because of its importance, agriculture is a major user of natural resources, particularly water. Irrigation is extremely wasteful because the distribution infrastructure is old and poorly maintained. Soil erosion and

salinization are the most important challenges for agriculture production. Central Asia is one of the most important centres of origin for temperate fruit species, and enjoys very rich specific and intraspecific diversity of fruit trees. Apple (Malus spp.), apricot (Prunus armeniaca), peach (Prunus persica), pear (Pyrus communis), plum (Prunus domestica), grape (Vitis vinifera), almond (Prunus amygdalus), pistachio (Pistacia vera), pomegranate (Punica granatum), and fig (Ficus carica) are among the best known crops cultivated in the region, where the diverse and extreme natural and climatic conditions have helped farmers produce varieties adaptable to drought and resistant to a number of environmental stress factors. For millennia, farmers have benefited from the natural crossing between crops and their wild relatives, breeding beneficial traits into the crops to enable them to successfully counter environmental changes so reducing crop vulnerability on farm. Contemporary breeders are increasingly searching the genepool of crop relatives worldwide for desirable traits. This results in Central Asia being of critical importance, since it is home to extensive forests containing wild relatives of many fruit species including apple (Malus spp.), pear (Pyrus spp.), plum (Prunus spp.), almond (Amygdalus spp.), pomegranate (Punica granatum) and grape (Vitis sp.). The management of crop diversity by traditional farmers to cope with biotic and abiotic stresses and to produce fruit varieties with palatable traits has resulted in a wide range of genetically different varieties of these species. Both farmers’ traditional varieties (or ‘landraces’) and wild relatives serve as the world’s repositories of fruit tree genetic diversity and represent a vital source of genes that can ensure current and future food security.